Chapter 10: A New Beginning in 1970

After
the Congress the movement rested on its oars until 1970, when La
Irlanda Esperanto-Asocio (the Irish Esperanto Association) was renamed La Esperanto-Asocio de Irlando (the Esperanto Association of
Ireland). The organisation requested and received membership of the
UEA (World Esperanto Association). According to its first Novaĵletero
(Newsletter) in February 1971 the Secretary was P J O’Reilly, the
Treasurer Christopher Fettes, and the Editor of the newsletter Jeremy
Addis. Later Christopher Fettes became Pesident of the Association and Joy
Davies was Secretary and Treasurer. Joy was and is one of the most
competent secretaries that we ever had.

Harry
Harrison, world famous science fiction writer and strong supporter of
Esperanto, was elected Honorary President.

Later
Liam Ó Cuirc was elected Vice-Pesident, Maire Mullarney Publicity
Secretary and Garbhan Mac Aoidh was elected committee member and Editor of
the Africa Pages of the reorganised newsletter edited by
Christopher Fettes.

The
Dublin Esperanto Club was also re-established, meeting twice a month
without interruption, first at Trinity College, then at 87 Merrion Square,
later still at 19 Upper Mount Street, and finally at 24 Burlington Road.

Because
we are now getting close to the present, I shall briefly list our main
achievements in the period 1970 to 1994.

1970: Four Irish people attended the World Esperanto Congress in Vienna.

1971:
The Newsletter
began to be published quarterly. The “After-Congress” event in Dublin
(after the World Esperanto Congress in London) was a great success.

1982: Christopher Fettes went to the TEJO congress in Louvain [TEJO is the
World Esperantist Youth Organisation – KK]. Joy Davies attended the
World Esperanto Congress in Antwerp.

1983: Christopher Fettes
travelled with 5 children to the Children’s Congress in Budapest and the
Family Gathering in Sumeg, Hungary; Maire Mullarney and Joy Davies
attended the 68th World Esperanto Congress in Budapest. There
was some interesting correspondence about Esperanto in the letters column
of the Irish Times.

1984: There was a talk
about Esperanto at the Wexford Arts Centre and another talk in Cork. A
questionnaire about Esperanto was sent to all candidates for the European
Parliament. Maire Mullarney attended a congress of the International
Association for Applied Linguistics in Brussels, and Garbhan Mac Aoidh
and his wife Máire visited Grésillon. Articles about Esperanto appeared in Inniu, Anois, Tullamore Tribune, Westmeath Offaly Independent, Evening
Press and Munster Express.

1985: Maire Mullarney visited the 70th World Esperanto Congress at
Augsburg and Christopher Fettes was a helper at the 22nd Children’s Congress. Lorcán Ó hUiginn died in Canada, 6/12/85. There were
articles about Esperanto in the Evening Herald, Lá, Anois and the Irish Times. Members of the Dublin Club celebrated Zamenhof Day on
15/12/85.

1986: Maire Mullarney
attended the World Esperanto Congress in China. Our newsletter changed its
name to Irlandafrika Esperantisto [Irish-African Esperantist] and
devoted some pages to African Esperantists. Christopher Fettes gave a talk
about Esperanto at the meeting of the National Scouts, and Maire Mullarney
spoke at the North Strand Vocational School. An article and a letter
appeared in the Irish Times, and a long article by Maire Mullarney
appeared in the Sunday Press.

1987: The Jubilee
Year – the one-hundredth anniversary of Esperanto. Maire Mullarney was
the Irish representative at the meeting of the European Esperanto Union at
Strasbourg and also at a meeting of “Greens” in Brussels. Several Irish
people attended the Jubilee Congress in Warsaw. Nineteen articles about
Esperanto appeared in newspapers, more than ever before.

1988: Maire Mullarney,
Christopher Fettes and Liam Ó Cuirc attended the 73rd World
Esperanto Congress in Rotterdam. Christopher Fettes brilliantly organised
the Children’s Congress. Mr & Mrs Mac Aoidh visited Chateau Grésillon and
“Kvinpetalo” in France. There were Esperanto exhibitions in Tullamore and
at the ILAC Centre, Dublin. Jean Darling took part in the International
Youth Congress in Zagreb. The Dublin Cafe Club was set up and met every
Thursday in Bewley’s Cafe, Westmoreland Street. Twelve articles about
Esperanto appeared in Irish newspapers.

1989: Joy Davies, Maire
Mullarney and Christopher Fettes (who organised the Children’s Congress)
attended the World Esperanto Congress in Brighton, England. Our
after-congress event was a brilliant success. Forty Esperantists from ten
countries attended. Besides visiting sights in Dublin itself, they went on
excursions to New Ross, Glendalough, Howth and other places. And,
amazingly, our Treasurer even reported a profit. The excellent book Esperanto for Hope by Maire Mullarney was launched during the
after-congress event. Dermot Clancy gave a talk about Esperanto at the
Forum Discussion Group.